The world's leading ocean conservation organizations are determining the most effective strategies that can be applied to the list of 50 Reefs sites.

50 Reefs aims to protect coral reefs from local threats by advocating for national and local protections for critical marine areas and important species. This will be done through partnerships with governments, local organizations, stakeholder groups, and other community members.

While the scientists are at work developing the list of 50 Reefs sites, the conservation team (led by the Wildlife Conservation Society) is undertaking an exhaustive process of investigating the best strategies to achieve effective protection, and producing a series of white papers and strategies ready for implementation when the list is published fall 2017.